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About the Author

Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio. She is the Founding Director of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings thousands of women to Israel each year from 18 different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage (www.jwrp.org). She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik, and is the busy mother of five children, ages 25 to 15.

Visitor Comments: 20

i really agree with you, we are just passing through. Make space!!!!!
thank you Lori

(19)
Annie,
April 3, 2009 11:23 AM

oh my gosh... keep it simple, silly! (k.i.s.s.)

are men not allowed to help out with the 'cleaning'? and the kids? around here they sure do! they have to!
From any Pesach cleaning learning over the years, as from Lori's reassuring video, it is the physical manifestation of a spiritual cleansing, right? Not a 'spring cleaning'! let's not get carried away! Chametz and dirt are two different monsters, at this time of year LET'S get rid of the chametz, the dirt will keep waiting, loyally! leave it for another mad cleaning drive!
Spring Cleaning may or may not have its roots in chametz cleaning, perhaps after centuries of slipping away from the joy of knowing what He really wants from us! and for us :)
Forget Spring Cleaning... forget it!

(18)
amy,
April 2, 2009 8:42 PM

Annoyed by the cleaning

I have been cleaning and getting ready for Pesach for two weeks now and the thought occurred to me how crazy it is. My kids are getting ignored because I am busy cleaning, sorting, getting the dishes into the garage, putting the pesach dishes, and otherwise moving one kitchen out and replacing it with another, along with the usual loads of laundry and cooking etc. It is exhausting, annoying, and irritating, quite frankly and if I could afford to go to a Pesach hotel I would be there now. I love Pesach, but I find the entire cleaning process a huge irritation. Oh well.

(17)
Anonymous,
April 2, 2009 8:04 PM

stuffbegone

Since we are preparing to sell our house and move to a condo, the
Thinking about "downsizing" to move from a house to a condo means getting rid of "stuff" I have gotten attached to over 50 years! I am not materialistic, but was surprised, as I look around, how much I "love" my "stuff". Reframing it to imagine myself feeling lighter and freer with my lighter load of stuff is not a bad idea....thanks Lori.

(16)
ST,
April 2, 2009 10:10 AM

Not now!! Declutter for Shavuot, get rid of Chametz before Pesach!

Emphatically agree with #14. Pesach cleaning is stressful enough for working moms with large families. Don't add to the stress by imposing new commandments of "thou shalt spring clean" along with the original "thou shalt remove all leavened bread/products." For the superwomen who can do it all, kol hakavod. But for the rest of us, this just is adding needlessly to our stress and is totally not necessary for Pesach. Nice thoughts about introspection but at the wrong time.

(15)
Dorraine Weiss,
April 1, 2009 7:24 AM

Thank you for the message from Hashem

We moved to Israel last July. Unfortunately my Mom passed away right before the move and we didn't get to finish going through the stuff before making Aliyah. We've been dealing with the stuff that is weighing us down for the second (or third time) and we really needed you message now. Sometimes we forget the real meaning of Passover. We listen every week but this one was very special for ua. Keep up the great work you are amazing.

(14)
Anonymous,
March 31, 2009 11:24 PM

I think you have a good message but not for this time of year.

When women were home all day dong a spring clean and Pesach clean at the same time might have made sense. But now women work all day long, it is over whelming enough just to get ready for Pesach. I have heard from numerous Rabbis over the past few years NOT to make Pesach cleaning a spring cleaning. We shouldn't kill ourselves to not be able to stay awake during the seder, or resent the chag, ... But we should just stick to cleaning for Chametz and save the spring clean for another time of year. It is a good message for any other time of year, summer when people are more relaxed let's say. If you don't work full time or you have cleaning help which makes all this that much easier you are very lucky-for the rest of us, at least myself I want to get to the seder and enjoy it with my kids.

(13)
Beverly,
March 31, 2009 7:46 PM

Check out FlyLady.net

Much of what you say is reflected in FlyLady's essays. FlyLady is a person who helps people declutter their homes, their bodies, their minds. She does not charge any fees. She sends reminders to those who register, to help them develop routines to get rid of clutter and keep it from coming back. It's a terrific website. If you register to receive the email reminders you also receive testamonials about people's experience with and without FlyLady's help. It reminds me of the way I became frum, one babystep at a time. There are many acronyms, too. For example, STUFF is Something That Undermines Family Fun. And, CHAOS, Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome (this is experienced by many people who have tons of clutter that embarrasses them). I use the email reminders. My favorite FlyLady saying is "You can't organize clutter. You can only get rid of it."
Have a Chag Kasher V'Same'ach!

(12)
shula in chicago,
March 31, 2009 6:47 PM

put it back into the world

your (besides Goodwill and local Jewish shelters). it's called 'freecycle' and people offer and others take, and it all goes back into the world somewhere else than my house. Chag Kasher v'Sameach

(11)
Malky,
March 31, 2009 12:46 PM

I wonder why ...

It is SO simple for me to get rid of the "stuff" Lori refers to, however, I have the most difficult time letting go of hurtful relationships and incidents ... "saving" them for the time when I'll be able to figure it out. A wonderful question at the end of her video, "If you had to leave in a hurry, what would you do with all that "stuff"? Well, then I'd be so busy focusing on the present that I'd finally stop carrying that baggage. Hey?! Hmmmmm ... Thank you, Lori, and chag sameach Pesach!

(10)
Charles,
March 31, 2009 12:09 PM

yes but if you are like me - come pesach - you will have no home!

Hi
Hashem has decreed that i should looose my wife, my family, my job...everything bar life.
And even with that my own epilepsy has increased.
So i rent. and because it's pesach the family who i rent from want their room back for their son comming back from israel for a trip etc....
So lori - geat and wonderful though your advice is - don't sugar coat reality for some with platitudes.Cleaning out stuff yes - but what if you have no stuff to clean out or it's taken away from you.
Sometimes 'self respect' needs the odd thing or to to justify itself. Ego can't always provide for the lack of anything.
Happy pesach!

(9)
Sarai,
March 31, 2009 11:52 AM

A wonderful message

Chag Sameach. Your message really hit home with me. While I try too "pay it forward" year round, at this time of year, at this season, it is so much more important. Again, Chag Sameach!

(8)
Meira,
March 31, 2009 11:45 AM

Coming from the Source.

Lori, you should call your program a little bit different: "almost" has to be replaced with the word "always". You are always live.
Let G-d help you with continual opportunity to bring us His messages!
Thank you.
Have a Great and Kosher Passover!

(7)
Karen,
March 31, 2009 8:49 AM

If You're Rich...

Yes, if you're rich this is great advice. But what if you're literally living from paycheck to paycheck? What if you haven't bought new things in years? Old things can often be recycled. Granted people on a tighter budget don't have quite as much "stuff," but they do have clothes they've grown out of and other things that they don't use right now. But yes, I fluctuate between sizes, and I'm fitting into things now that I haven't worn for years. I can't afford a whole new wardrobe. If I'd thrown them out, what would I do now?

(6)
Eileen,
March 31, 2009 8:02 AM

You are wonderful, inspiring

Chag Sameach.

(5)
Chanah,
March 30, 2009 6:44 PM

Decluttering: an all year round project, but not for Pesach

While I agree with the statements about ridding oneself of clutter, it's benefits (especially the opportunity to do tzedakah in the process), this is perhaps not the best tie in to Pesach cleaning. I think that combining Spring cleaning and decluttering with Pesach preparations tends to make people resent the cleaning, and perhaps ruin their enjoyment of the holiday itself. They come to the Seder exhausted and don't enjoy it.
Everything that Mrs. Palatnik mentioned are activities that I regularly engage in during the rest of the year. I do feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in getting rid of the clutter, and giving it to those who really need it. I also feel that my mind is more calm and organized upon getting rid of things I don't need.
However, during the season of Pesach cleaning, the searching and getting rid of the chametz in addition to kashering the kitchen is a big project unto itself. During this time, I like to concentrate on actual Pesach cleaning, and all "decluttering projects" have either been completed or on hold until after Yom Tov.
I think that it is a very beautiful idea to get rid of one's "personal chametz" and one's clutter is a good analogy. However in putting these particular projects on hold during this time, I will come to the Seder that I will have prepared calm and rested, and with a sense of accomplishment.

(4)
Yisroel Pollack,
March 30, 2009 1:40 PM

How to Clean for Pesach

It’s so true. I also tend to hoard things…things that I don’t really need….like newspapers and magazines. I save them because I think they contain articles that are really worth getting to. But I delude myself, because however much I hold on to them, I don’t wind up reading them. So the other day when I was doing some cleaning, I tossed (most of) them out. But I didn’t feel too good about doing the cleaning. I know that it’s important to clean for Pesach. But I really feel that house-cleaning is something for a woman to do, not a man. Alas, I’m still not married, and there’s no woman around to do the cleaning that needs to get done. So I’m reduced to doing it myself. This is why I say it is so important for a man to take a wife in a timely fashion. And if you know a nice woman who would consider letting me court her for possible marriage, please let me know. Have a kosher and happy yomtov!

(3)
S. F. Berkowitz,
March 30, 2009 1:12 PM

Spring Cleaning Validation

Lori, thank you so much for validating my need to start early so that we can combine Pesach cleaning with Spring cleaning. You have confirmed my belief that when we lighten our material load we are more open to spirituality - that is in addition to the mitzvah that comes from donating gently used clothing and housewares to needy families. I just returned from dropping off bags at Goodwill and our local Jewish Gemach when I saw your video. And now - any thoughts on what potato starch and 6 straight meals of chicken and meat do for our spirituality?!

(2)
SusanE,
March 30, 2009 11:36 AM

Pesach and Spring cleaning

I know about cleaning drawers or crumbs and using toothpicks to get crumbs out of floorboards and using flashlights to find crumbs. Really didn't understand how it would enrich my family's life to be obsessive to that extent. But what you are suggesting today, makes great sense.
My grandparents did spring cleaning every year. Every inch of the house was torn apart and cleaned, scrubbed, aired and refreshed. Fridge was clean, kitchen was spotless, Windows shone and winter dust and dirt was gone. It took the two working together about 4 days to do the whole house.
They called it spring cleaning, but I think they had a Jewish soul.

(1)
N Rosen,
March 29, 2009 8:30 AM

clearing clutter for Pesach

That makes me feel more assured that I don't need so much clutter laying around the house, because some of the "stuff" can be sold to a collector like gold, silver, autographs, etc. It's bad enough that I seem to have a lot of clutter to collect as I get out of my car on my way back home from the gym where I have my gym bag, drink bottles to recycle, trash to toss, and even the mail that I get from the mailbox like a drive-thru. I'm all for simplifying what I have around me so that I have space and save time...Now Lori, with Pesach coming up soon, please do let me know if I can come over to your house since I do not yet have plans - remember that I met you at my alma mater last week. Look forward to hearing from you, and possibly seeing you again soon.